Almost €800k spent on PR firms in 2018

Five Hospital
Groups and nine voluntary hospitals spent €799,342 on the services of PR firms
last year, according to figures released administratively and through Freedom
of Information law.

The figures show five Hospital Groups spent €390,639 on
PR companies, while nine voluntary hospitals within various Groups separately
spent €408,703.

Of seven Hospital Groups, only RCSI Hospitals and
University of Limerick Hospitals did not spend money on PR firms in 2018. The
highest spender was South/South West Hospital Group, which paid €120,685 to
Heneghan PR. One of its hospitals, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, has a
contract with Mills Public Relations worth €24,600 per annum. This type of
overlapping expenditure was a feature in three other Hospital Groups. Beaumont
Hospital, Dublin, was the highest-spending voluntary hospital, paying €81,180
to Drury Porter Novelli in 2018.

Over 20
staff within Hospital Groups and voluntary hospitals have some form of
communications remit (which may be only part of their duties and comprises more
than media relations). There are also press/communications units in the
Department of Health and HSE.

Mr Paul
Connors, HSE National Director of Communications, said the expenditure by
Hospital Groups on PR firms was declining. He said Hospital Groups had been
encouraged to develop an in-house resource.

According to previous data supplied to the Medical
Independent, Hospital Group expenditure on PR firms in 2015 was
over €340,000, which is lower than in 2018. However, Saolta, Ireland East
Hospital Group and Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, which all spent money on PR
firms last year, have since ceased these contracts. Mr Connors said he is not
privy to all advice and direction given by PR companies to Hospital Groups, but
felt the PR firms have been providing “a good service”.